Predicted Rating: 3 Stars
Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth). Starring: Charlie Hunnam (Green Street Hooligans), Idris Elba (American Gangster) and Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
After an interdimentional rift opens up deep in the Pacific Ocean in the not to distant future, massive monsters known as Kaiju begin periodically attacking the planet. After the third attack, every nation bands together to initiate the Jaeger program, the building of giant human controlled robots to destroy the Kaiju. It was proven that one person cannot control the Jaeger by themselves, but must mind meld with another individual to control the robot simultaneously. Seven years after the rift is open, Raleigh Beckett (Hunnam) is fighting a Kaiju when his co-pilot and brother is killed, forcing him to leave the Jaeger program. Five years later, the governments of the world have decided to close the Jaeger program and focus on building a wall around the Pacific Ocean. The research department of Dr. Newton Geizler (Day) and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) discover that the Kaiju attacks are occurring at an accelerated rate and will lead to the destruction of the human race. It is up to Beckett to return and lead the Jaeger program in order to close the rift.
The engineer in me thinks that the Jaeger program could have been done more efficiently whilst the movie critic applauds del Toro for creating a more humane side of a disaster film. I am of course referencing the need for two pilots to drive the Jaeger. As an engineer I thought the piloting system could have been done in a much more logical way by using a simple control system that completely eliminates the strain on the pilot. Hey why even have a pilot on board, you could control the Jaegers remotely. Then again do they even need to be giant robots, could we initiate some sort of air based attack or even just a giant net? Thinking from the other side, the introduction of the two pilot system adds a humane touch to what could have been, excuse the pun, a robotic movie. In the mist of dark twisted American summer movies, such as Man of Steel, needing the pilots to work together brightens the mood and adds something different to the film. Also, as the majority of the pilot combos are family members, it brings in the theme of family values and the spiritual connection between the members. A poor engineering choice in my mind but a solid film choice.
Something that is unique in this disaster film is picking it up well down the track after the initial attack. I am not sure whether I am sold on this idea. My favourite alien attack movies, such as Independance Day, are the ones that start before the beginning of the attack. This way you get to see how everyone reacts to the aliens and you live through the discovery of how to destroy them. With Pacific Rim, how to destroy the aliens has already been set and you are living the final moments of stopping the Kaiju. I think the already established attack worked for District 9 but it would have been cool to see how the Jaeger program was initiated in more detail. Maybe a prequel is on the cards... wait, was that Cloverfield?.. J.J Abrams conspiracy theories for the win!
Aside from big monsters fighting bigger monsters, my favourite aspect of the film was the performances of Charlie Day and Burn Gorman. They served as the comic relief in the film. A lot of the time in these type of films, the comic relief is annoying and you wish they weren't there so you can watch more robots fighting big monsters. However, these two, with their unnecessary conflict, add a bit of spice to the film. Also, as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of my favourite TV shows, I can't help seeing Day as his character, Charlie, from the show. For any other fans of It's Always Sunny, how awesome would it be for Charlie, of all people, to save the world from aliens! I read that del Toro casted Day purely based on his "rat stick" monologue from It's Always Sunny so it was awesome to see some of Charlie come across in the Newton character.
Overall: An alien attack film with a human touch. What a Power Ranger's movie would be with a $200 million budget. 3.5 Stars
Thumbs Up: Go and watch this movie
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